Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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674. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he has any plans to amend the Status of Children Act 1987 to allow for court-ordered DNA testing of individuals other than alleged parents in appropriate cases, subject to suitable legal safeguards (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37826/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset, it is important to clarify that the matter to which the Deputy is referring concerns rights to identity in the context of illegal birth registrations, which falls under the remit of Department of Children, Equality, and Disability.

Having said that, I wish to advise the Deputy that under Section 38 of the Status of Children Act 1987 (as substituted by section 82 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015), in any civil proceedings before a court in which the parentage of any person is in question, the court may, either of its own motion or on an application by any party to the proceedings, give a direction for the use of DNA tests and the taking of bodily samples for the purposes of assisting the court to determine whether a person named in the application or a party to the proceedings, is or is not a parent of the person whose parentage is in question. Bodily samples may be directed to be taken from the person whose parentage is questioned, from any person alleged to be a parent of that person, and from any other person who is a party to the proceedings.

While all legislation that falls under my remit is kept under constant review, there are currently no plans to amend the legislation to which the Deputy refers.